MACKWORTH
INFORMATION
Where is it? – Mackworth village is about two miles from Derby and ten miles from Ashbourne. Mackworth Estate is about one mile from Derby.
What to do? – Enjoy a trip along Prince Charles Avenue and note the spacious layout of Markeaton Estate – Explore the old village – Visit what remains of the old village of Markeaton and take a look around the park with all its modern amenities.
Where to eat? – The Potting Shed Café is on Markeaton Lane close to the disabled vehicular entrance. For more information visit: www.markeatongardencentre.co.uk or telephone 01332 492545 – Orangery Café overlooks formal gardens on the southern side of the Craft Village in Markeaton Park. For more information visit: www.inderby.org.uk or telephone 01332 611798.
Other places to visit – Kedleston Hall is one of the best surviving examples anywhere of the work of Robert Adam. A National Trust property it is lavishly decorated with fine collections of paintings, furniture and sculptures – Carsington Water was officially opened by HM the Queen in 1992 and instantly became one of Derbyshire’s most important tourist attractions – Markeaton Park is one of the most popular parks in the East Midlands with an estimated one million visitors per year. The facilities have been enhanced over the years to include a children’s boating lake, amusement park, crazy golf and Derby’s biggest model railway, along with the ever-popular paddling pool. During peak periods, there is a bouncy castle available, canoes, rowing boats, electric cars and donkey rides. Other facilities have been added as part of the park restoration project.
PROFILE
Mackworth is a large residential suburb of Derby, with the old village sitting further west on the other side of the A52. The latter is a conservation village and was mentioned in the Domesday Book when it was held by the Earl of Chester. The site of the original medieval village can still be seen near the present village.
Historically, the parish included the neighbouring village of Markeaton, which used to be much larger, and has now been absorbed into the city of Derby. In the Domesday Book, Markeaton was shown to have its own church and mill. The church referred to possibly being All Saints at Mackworth, which holds memorials to the Mundy family of Markeaton, whose arms date back to the reign of Edward the Confessor.
THE ROMANS
Mackworth had links with the Romans whose road from Little Chester to Chesterton in Staffordshire via Rocester ran through the area. Excavations have established that All Saints’ Church founded in the late 20th century stands on its route.
MACKWORTH CASTLE
Located on a sunken road running through the village is the Gatehouse, a Grade II* listed building. It was intended to form the entrance to the De Mackworth family seat and is frequently referred to as Mackworth Castle. But no castle was ever built. The family inherited an estate in Rutland and went to live there instead and the house was never completed. The gatehouse now opens into a farmyard. Originally, a timber-framed fortified Manor House probably stood on the site, which, it is claimed, was destroyed during the English Civil War. In 1954, Mackworth Castle was the scene of action shots of the movie ‘The Black Shield of Falworth,’ starring Tony Curtis, which is based on the 19th-century historical novel ‘Men of Iron’ by the American author Howard Pyle.
ALL SAINTS’ CHURCH
The church mentioned in the Domesday Book was possibly the one at Markeaton. But it is almost certain there was a church at Mackworth in 1200. It was restored in 1851, but parts of the building are 13th and 14th century. All Saints’ Church stands back from the road, isolated in a field to the east of the village centre. According to Pevsner, the west tower is ‘supposed to have defensive purposes’. The nave can be barred, the tower has no door and there are only small windows on the lower levels. Crossbow loopholes on the north and west of the tower add substance to Pevsner’s argument. Following a devastating arson attack in 2020, it has been announced that the church is to be rebuilt.
MACKWORTH ESTATE
The estate was built to make up for the dire shortage of housing created by the Second World War and became the largest post-war council estate in Derby. Most of the properties were semi-detached, together with some terraced houses and low-rise flats. The neighbourhood also incorporated a small group of privately owned pre-war houses. Mackworth Estate was spaciously laid out with plenty of green space. Essential services and community facilities were evenly spread throughout the new suburb and in 1959 the estates Main Shopping Centre at Prince Charles Avenue opened. All the other roads on the estate have London place names. Today, most of the properties on the estate are privately owned.
